Apparatus for teaching gun practice.



No. 707,729. Patented Aug. 26, I902.

- C. A. SPDRBUNG.

APPARATUS FOR TEACHING GUN PRACTICE.

(Application filed Sept. 4. 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Shouts-Sheat l.

Patented Aug. 26, I902. B. A. SPDBRUNG. APPARATUS FOR TEACHING GUNPRACTICE.

(Application filed Sept. 4, 1901.)

2 Sheeis-Sheot 2.

(I10 Modal.)

ill,

WlTNESSES:

lNVEN-TUR STATES NTTE PATENT OFFICE.

CARL ANTON SPORRONG, OF STOOKHOLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO ERNST LUNDGREN AND ALFRED RICHARDSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV.YORK, AND JAMES WHITESIDE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FCR'TEACHING GUN PRACTICE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 707,729, dated August26, 1902.

Application filed September 4, 1901. Serial No. 74397. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, CARL ANTON SPORRONG, a subject of the King ofSweden and Norway, and a resident of Stockholm, Sweden, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Teaching GunPractice, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means where by the practicaloperations of tar- [o get-shooting may, so far as the drill exercise isconcerned, be carried on without the waste of ammunition and the dangersincident thereto and also without the long range necessary to the commonpractice.

. The invention comprises, essentially, auniversally-jointedgun-support, whichgun may bea dummy or false gun andis subject while on said support to the manipulations of thepractitioner,said support allowing practically zothe same deviations ofthe gun when being sighted as in the common praotice,with means fortransmitting the deviations to a pointer so connected to the gun-supportas to keep in such alinement relatively to the line of the gun-sight asto point to the same object,and

a clamping device which is automatically actuated simultaneously withand is set in operation by the pulling of the trigger and instantlylocks all the parts fast in the positions they occupy at the instant thetrigger is pulled, so that the pointer shows with relation toa fixedcenter representing the'bullseye of the target the deviations due to thepractice of the unskilful operator as they are 5 shown on the ordinarytarget.

The invention also comprises various de tails of constructionin theapparatus, as hereinafter described, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved apparatus as set up for use. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4; is a vertical section on the line 4 4: of Fig. 2.

' 5 Fig. 5 is a detail showing the clamp-setting and tripping lever.

A represents the substitute gun, and a represents a support oftrough-like construction in which the gun may be placed so as to begripped, together with the; gun, by the left hand, as the ordinarygun'is' gripped when placed against the shoulder for use, while therighthand grips the part Z only of the stock of thegun.Thesupportctisatitsrearendmounted on the top of a verticalpivot-standard b, which at about the middle of its length has support ina block 0, through which it is fitted so as to rotate, said block beingcarried by trunnion-pivots d in housings 6, set upright on a base-plater, so that the stock may shift in a vertical plane for adjustment as toelevation of the trajectory, while rotation of the standard I)accommodates the lateral range. The block 0 carries a step-bearingfforthe pivot g of the lower end of the standard I), said bearing beingsuspended a suitable distance below by. hangers h. The false gun is thusmounted so as towork universally in the hands of theoperator-practically the same as a gun wholly supported in the hands,and with the stock so mounted a pointer t, 10- cat-ed below andinalinement with it in a vertical plane and universally pivot-jointed atj, is coupled to the standard I), so that the pointer automaticallyfollows the line of the gun-sight in all the deviations it may make whenmanipulated by the operator, and when the gun is accurately pointed withrelation to the object aimed at the said pointer registers with abullseye mark 70, fixedly set on a transparent support m directly infront of the pointer, and thus shows that aim was correct, and whateverdeviation there may be of the pointer relatively to this mark representsthe measure of the inaccuracy of the op- 8 5 erator. The connection ofthe pointer-staff z with the standard I) is preferably by means of ametallic strip or wire spring 12', having several coils 13 and a rigidarm 14: interposed between said spring and the standard for an elasticconnection; but this may be modified at will. The universalfulcrum-joint pivot of the pointer-stafi 'i may be constructed in anyapproved way. It is to be understood that the pointer is not necessarilylocated 5 under the gun nor in its vertical plane. In regard to theseparticulars the arrangements specified are only such as preferred.

To fixedly set the pointer exactly in the position occupied at theinstant of pulling the trigger and retain it a short time forobservation, the trigger n, which instead of being connected with thegun is pivoted at on the supporta back of the standard I), is made torelease an automatic clamp, which at once rigidly arrests all movementsof the gun-supporting apparatus, and thus rigidly sets the pointer inwhatever relation it may be to the bulls-eye mark.

The clamp may be constructed in various ways, and I do not limit myselfto any particularconstruction. The construction which I represent hereinas one example of such device suitable for carrying out my inventionconsists of the housings 6, between which the block 0 is pivoted, beingmade slightly elastic in their supporting parts e, the housings e andthe flange p of an in ternally-screw-threaded sleeve q, placed outsideof one of the housings and coupled together by bolts 8, extendingthrough slots 5 of the block, allowing said block limited rotatorymovement on its axis without hindrance by said bolts, said housingsbeing also free for slight movement along the bolts, or at least the onebetween the flangep and the block 0 must be so.

In the sleeve q is a clamp-operating screw u, to one end of which,projecting from the outer end of the sleeve, a hand-lever o is attached, while the inner end of said screw has when screwed up contactwith the housing e, against which the flange p of the sleeve 1 bears.The lever o carries a ratchet-segment w on the extremity of its shortarm, which engages with a pawl-bit a: when the lever is turned by handto the left orin the direction to retract the screw, and holds it formaintaining the relaxed condition of the clamp.

On the sleeve q between the flange p and acollar y is a coiled spring 2,one end of which is secured to the flange p at 2 and the other endengages the short arm of the lever t; at 3, said spring being soadjusted that under tension it thrusts the lever so as to tighten theclam p when the ratchet w is released from the retaining-pawl bit at.This pawl-bit m is carried on a lever 4, pivoted at 5 and having aspring 6 normally keeping the said bit in engagement with the ratchet w.

The lever 4 reaches into a recess 7 in the standard b just above thestep-bearing of said standard, so that a rod 8 set upright in the hollowaxis of the standard may rest at its lower end on or slightly above thelever 4 near its free end. This rod extends upward to the top of thestandard b or thereabout, where an arm 9 of the trigger n rests on it,so that when the trigger is pulled the lever 4 is depressed, whichreleases the pawl-bit cc from the ratchet to, allowing the spring z toact and tighten the clamp at the instant the trigger is pulled, and thusset the pointer in relation to the bulls-eye lo, showing the result ofthe effort of the operator to hit the ob 'ject aimed at, which may beany objectvat a suitable distance or a common target, if desired. Thelever 4 carries a plate 21, the breadth of which is coextensive with thelateral range of the end of the rod 8, due to the oscillations of theblock 0, and thus insures uninterrupted connection of the twonotwithstanding the oscillations. A coiled spiral wire spring 10,located in the hollow axis of the standard I) and surrounding the rod 8,relieves the lever 4 of the weight of the rod for sensitive action. Thelever 11 is pulled forward again and is automatically again engaged bythe pawl-bit 00 for releasing the clamp preparatory to the nextoperation.

The base-plate r is detachably and adjustably clamped to an arm 14,which is similarly clamped to a post 15, that may have any suitablesupport.

A protective inolosing case 16 is applied to the apparatus below thesupport a, and a funnel-shaped protector 17 for the pointer i, whichprojects through said case,issuitably attached thereto and carries atits outer end the beforementioned transparent support m, through whichthe pointer 2', indicating the results of the efforts of thepractitioners, is seen.

For enabling the instructor to observe the pointer from the positions heoccupies in conducting the practice a mirror 18 is hinged to the outerend of the pointer-protector 17, as indicated at 19, which may be set atany suitable angle for reflecting the images of the bulls-eye andpointer in the directions for being so observed, thus exhibiting to himthe effect of every effort of the operator and atfording himopportunities of instantly pointing out to the operator his inaccuraciesin particular and in general tendencies such as has in no way or by anymeans been heretofore provided for. The hinge 19 may be connected to theprotector by a sliding bar 20, whereby it may be set outward from theend of the protectormore or less to facilitate the use of the reflector.

WVhat I claim as my invention isl. The combination of the gun -supportadapted for the application of a gun for use in connection with it, asin sighting the gun and shooting, and provided with a trigger for use inlieu of the gun-trigger, the universallyjointed mounting of saidsupport, a pointer having a universally-jointed support, and connectedwith the gun-support so as to maintain parallelism with the deviatingline of the gun-sight, a bulls-eye marl; located in the line which thepointer occupies when the gun is truly sighted with relation to theobject aimed at, an automatic clamp to lock the parts in the positionsoccupied when the trigger is pulled, setting devices for holding theclamp in readiness for action, and tripping mechanism for said holdingdevices actuated by the trigger.

2. The combination of the gunsupport adapted for the application ofa'gun for use in connection with it, as in sighting the gun andshooting, and provided with a trigger for use in lieu of thegun-trigger, the universallyjointed mounting of said support, a pointerhaving a universally-jointed support,and connected with the gun-supportso as to maintain parallelism with the deviating line of the gun-sight,a bulls-eye mark located in the line which the pointer occupies when thegun is truly sighted with relation to the object aimed at, and having atransparent support, an automatic clamp to lock the parts in thepositions occupied when the trigger is pulled, setting devices forholding the clamp in readiness for action, and tripping mechanism forsaid holding devices actuated by the trigger.

3. The com bination of the gun-support,trigger connected with saidsupport, universallyjointed mounting of said support, a pointer having auniversally-jointed support, and connected with the gun-support so as tomaintain parallelism with the deviating line of the gun-sight, automaticlocking-clamp for said support,setting devices for holdingsaid clamp inreadiness for action, tripping-lever of said setting devices,tripping-lever-actuating rod carried in the gun-support-mountingdevices, the arm of the trigger adapted to actuate said rod, and meansto retire the rod.

4. The combination of the gun-support,trig ger connected with saidsupport, universallyjointed mounting of said support, a pointerhaving auniversally-jointed support, and connected with the gun-support so as tomaintain parallelism with the deviating line of the gun-sight, automaticlocking-clamp for said support, means for releasing said clamp, settingdevices for holding said clamp in readiness for action, tripping-leverof said setting devices, tripping-lever-actuating rod carried in thegun-support-mounting devices, the arm of the trigger adapted to actuatesaid rod, and means to retire the rod.

5. The combination of the gun-support and its standard, the block andthe step-support carrying the standard, housings carrying theblock-pivots and adapted to clamp the block, clamping-sleeve and boltsconnecting said sleeve and housings, clamping-screw, screwactuatinglever and spring, the screw setting and tripping devices, the trigger ofthe gun support adapted for actuating the tripping devices and a pointerhaving a universallyjointed support, and connected with the gunsupportso as to maintain parallelism with the deviating line of the gun-sight.

6. The combination with the universaljoint-supported gun-support whichis subject to direct manipulations of the operator in firing the gun, ofthe universal-joint-supported pointer, means connecting the gun-supportand pointer whereby parallelism of the pointer with the deviating lineof the gunsight results from the deviations of the gun and a substitutebulls-eye mark in close proximity to the pointer.

7. The combination with the universaljoint-supported gun-support, theuniversaljoint-supported pointer, and means connecting the gun-supportand pointer whereby parallelism of the pointer is maintained with thedeviating line of the gun-sight, of the bulls-eye mark located in theline which the pointer occupies when the gun is truly sighted withrelation to the object aimed at, and

an adjustable mirror adapted for reflecting,

the images of the pointer and the bulls-eye into the visual range of theinstructor in the requisite proximity to the operator for directing him.

Signed at Stockholm this 15th day of August, 1901.

CARL ANTON SPORRONG. WVitnesses:

ADOLF KILDSTROM, O. J. .AKERLUND.

